Seeing, But Not Believing
by SilverGilded
Summary: Corny makes a mad dash to an old park and Luis follows, but is clueless. The only thing Corny knows is that a girl is about to be killed.
1. Paranoid? Maybe Not

Seeing, But Not Believing

**(Corny/Luis Pairing. After IronSide . . . ) For warning this will intertwine with a totally different story and I will get something wrong, because it's been a while since I read the books. Correct me when you can, please!**

The sky was black and threatening to breaking into rain. The streets were empty of cars and people, with the exception to Corny. He stood in front of the Fairy Safe House, staring slightly at the darkening sky. The clouds rolled menacingly toward him. The wind blew hard, running gentle fingers through his died black hair. Corny breathed deeply, taking in the unique smell of tempting rain. His brow relaxed. Taking away the emotionless mask he had, walking out of the door.

A heavy sigh escaped his lungs as he watched a sheet of rain come pouring over his head. He could feel the water soak deep within him. Saturating him to the core. Corny felt his hair become knotted from the heavy drops of rain colliding with each strand. The thick water washed over his face, creating a clear layer of skin that ran off his nose and jaw line. He sighed heavily, forcing his body to repel the rapid cold that blanketed him. Everything around him seemed to slow to a halt, except for the rain and his own heart beat. Panic started to seep through his veins. His breathing became harsh and rapid. His shoulders rose and fell violently and his knees shook underneath him. Threatening to take him down.

His eyes shot down the walk way, past the houses and on to the park, 12 blocks from where he stood. There was nothing there. The rusting swing sets squeaked as the wind took then, with the jungle gyms looking as old and decrepit as they always have and the gloomy weather didn't make it any better. But still he searched frantically. Shifting his eyes from one end of the park to the other, like a nervous cat. One more sweep brought him back to the middle where there was a body slumped lifelessly on one of the supporting poles of the swings. It was a girl. She wore two wife-beaters(tank tops) - one black and one white. Her long brown hair was black with water and strung wildly about her face, obscuring his vision of her features. Her arms laid loosely by her sides with her legs out in front of her. Blood was spattered in random intervals on her pant legs, along with holes on her thighs and knees with heavy crimson surrounding the opening of each hole.

Corny wiped his eyes from the sheet of rain that covered his face and saw that the girls arms were shredded from her bare shoulder to her fingers. Bruises along her biceps and triceps were forming rings around her. Like a hand print.

Corny stood in shock at the edge of the park, staring at the girl with a dropped jaw. His hands shook with rage, with his heart painfully pumping blood to his head. Corny lifted one foot to run to the girl, but was barely about to take a step. He tried again, but with no success lifting his other foot at all. His body shook harshly, with his face turning a dark shade of cherry red. He was about to call for Luis for help when the whole scene zoomed past him in a frenzy of colors. He jolted backwards and only stopped because of what he thought was a wall.

Corny's eyes shot open in a panic as he looked around only to find that he was still in front of the safe house with Luis's strong, dark arms around his waist. Corny's hands instinctively went to his. He felt his body wanting to shake with either, fear- rage or nausea from the trip back. Luis's head was laying delicately on Corny's shoulder as he fought himself to not fidget. Luis looked up at the sky for a moment, while he kissed Corny's shoulder.

"Looks like it'll rain," he cooed lightly.

Corny's eyes snapped to the sky. The black clouds from before were different than this. These clouds were just beginning to roll in. With in minutes it would be raining. He looked down the walk way, again. But only seeing a 6 block row of houses that disappeared around the corner where the park was. Corny's breathing became shaky and labored as he kept staring in the direction of the park.

Luis brought his head off Corny's shoulder, feeling his breathing change against him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked looking at Corny's face in profile.

"We need to go," was all Corny could say.

"What?"

Corny started to pry Luis's hands off him as he started to run. He finally got out of his steal grip and took one of his hands, dragging him along. Corny runs as fast as he can, with Luis stumbling along behind him. He lets go and both guys are running neck and neck. Only one knowing where they are going.

"Where the Hell are we going?" Luis yelled in panic for Corny.

He didn't say anything- just kept running. They rounded the corner. Four blocks in and the row of houses clears to an opening. Corny runs across the street, nearly getting hit by the only car on the street. The car slams on their brakes and Corny jumps the hood. Not stopping for a second to see if anything else was coming or to check himself if he was alright.

Luis nearly drops dead where he stood. Fearing he would get ran over. But sees he gets safely across.

"If nothing else kills you, I will," he grumbles becoming irritated.

He runs across, leaping onto the hood of the same car with an appealing sound of metal bending under his heavy landing and sprints after Corny.

He didn't get far. Frankly, because Corny stopped right before you would reach the park. Luis stops and about falls over himself. He doubles over his knees, holding onto his thighs to catch his breath.

'_Its been way to fuckin' long since I ran like this. . .'_

Corny searches the darkening woods before the park opened up. Eyes scanning frantically for something. The sound of a thunder clap and water started to pour through the leave, like nothing was in it's way. He starts to run again. Going towards the park. Luis groans in having to run again, but follows close behind. Luis breaches the trees and stands in shock of the scene in front fo him.

"Come Get Me You Bastards," yelled a girl of about their age.

She was standing in the middle of the park, yelling at the trees. As Luis eyed her up and down, even from a far distance and with the help of the girls wet clothes, there was a definite bulge on her left calf. With another under the back of her shirts.

'_She's packing! _'

With another look, he also saw how beat up she was. Blood and bruises were on every inch of exposed skin. Without a sound, other than the rain, a sword comes flying out of the trees at a deafening speed, aimed square at the girl. She bends back, almost to a backbend, and catches the sword by the hilt. She comes up and swings the sword with a trained hand in its use.

"Is That The Best You Got! Come Face Me If You Want To Kill Me!" she roared above the fall of the rain.

Then out of the woods came two fairies, as big as Roiben. They had an evil smirk on their faces. One of then still had his sword the other had a small dagger, ready to spar.

Luis stepped back into the shadow of the trees, un-clipping the iron chain that hung on his pants. The girl in the center, gave a triumphant grin and the two fairies paused for a second. That was the girls chance and that was all she needed. The girl swung her leg around to a full round kick and hit the fairies hand, holding the sword, with a satisfying snap. The weapon went flying out of sight into the trees.

With reflexes faster than Luis can follow, the girl grabbed a pair of shoulders and jammed her knee into a gut. The fairy went down with a groan of pain, with the other coming at her from behind. Luis about ran to them, when she snapped kicked him under his chin. He went down with a gag. She stood between the groveling fairies, breathing harshly.

"I was wondering when you guys would get here," she called without any anger in her voice.

Luis stepped out of the trees as well as Corny, who held an iron necklace that Luis got for him in his hands. They walked slowly towards the middle. Luis with a heavy scowl. Corny with concern filling every seam of his face. Corny was the one who got to the girl first. He asked her if she was alright, she nodded her head without looking up from the ground. He bent down to the groaning fairy and tied the iron necklace around his wrists, behind his back. The fairy groaned even more as the iron burned his skin. Luis did the same, without take his eyes off the girl. Luis's fairy started to squirm as he brought him up. He scowled at the girl with red hot hate in his eyes. With in a millisecond his foot collided with her head. Turning her body around and knocking her into the swings support pole with a solid metallic ring. Luis elbowed the fairy in the neck, just hard enough to knock him out. The fairy dropped like a ton of bricks and Luis ran to the girl. Panic on his face.

_'She's dead for sure! That hit snapped her neck!'_

Luis leaned over her legs to look at her neck. He pushed gently on the main artery of the neck to feel for a pulse. It was there, but faint. Luis then ran his fingers over the back of her neck and was shocked to find a brake in the straight line in the neck! She should be dead! His eyes widened in shock. He placed both of his hands gingerly on either side of her neck and alined there broken spine. There was a loud, blood curtailing snap. Luis jerked his hands away and the girls body spasmed once under him. He jumped up and the girls eyes opened and widened in pain. She groaned, but tried her best to hide it. The girl went limp and her eyes closed in relief.

"Ouch," was all she said before she passed out.


	2. Sightless Danger

**Hey, Thanks for the review. Sorry it took so long to get this on. School just started and I am running around like my head is cut off! (Yuck!) Thanks again!**

Luis stood there in the middle of the park staring at the unconscious girl with bewilderment and shock forming an impenetrable mask. His shoulders heaved up and down harshly as the cold rain finally started to takes its tole on his body. Everything was numb to Luis. There was only him and the girl, until the faint sound of wet foot steps barely caught his attention.

Corny kneeled next the to girl, rapping his arms gently around her, while laying her on his lap. He straightened her arms to her sides and began, with a timid touch, to smooth her hair from her face. The emotion Corny held was nothing less of parental worry. He gazed at her with that lie that says 'everything will be alright', but you can see the dark truth no matter how heavy the lie is.

"How the hell did you know to come here?" Luis asked with a quiet, but short of breath, whisper.

"I didn't," was all Corny said.

He didn't take his eyes off the girl.

Luis skirted slowly to Corny, some what afraid of his fragile looking boyfriend. He sat down beside him, sitting on his thighs. Luis eyed her more closely and his eyes stopped on her exposed collar bone. Her skin was white with cold, making everything pucker. But as he kept looking it was clear that these would have been visible even with out wet skin. They were scars. Old scars. Precision cuts that have healed years ago. There was so many. At least 10 to 15. The biggest one starting from the curve of the center and sweeping along the whole length of the slender bone into the shoulder where it disappeared to her back.

Luis reached out to the girls collar with a shaking hand. He ran his fingers gently over each individual scar. There was 13 scars. With having many scars of his own, he could tell which ones were literally skin deep and which ones cut the muscle. Everyone was knotted under the skin or had holes where the muscle wasn't sewn shut.

'_This girl must have went through hell and back'_

Luis bet if he looked her over better he would find dozens more like those. He brought his hand away from her chest/collar only to scoop her up off Corny's lap. He got off his legs, with the lifeless body in his arms.

"We need to get her out of the rain. Can't do much help out here," he voice low and emotionless

Corny just nodded and followed Luis in his shadow. The walk was silent and long. It held a heavy air that neither one could shake.

"Do you know her?" Luis asked sadly, thinking the worst.

Ex-Girlfriend.

"No. I don't," Corny told him firmly, hearing the hidden question behind it.

Luis's shoulders seemed to relax a half of a fraction, but ceased up again in trying to figure out who she was.

They got the girl safely to the safe house without any stares from passerby's. Luis laid her on the, frame-less, twin size mattress that they both shared. Her face was empty and seemed to contradict her peaceful body. She was strange to look at. As Luis stared again at her, Corny got in front of his view and rested his forehead on Luis's broad shoulder. Luis closed his eyes and breathed in the sent of Corny. While Corny sighed as Luis pulled his waist gently to his. Corny's hands slipped into Luis's jean back pockets. Feeling the tight, toned muscle that was Luis's ass.

Every muscle, tendon and aching bone relaxed when each one was in each others arms. Corny, sleepily, started to kiss Luis's shoulder where it connected to his neck. Under the soft pecks he could feel the risen places where he usually bit him. That made him smile and blush lightly. But Luis wasn't into his teasing at the moment, so brought him off his neck and held his jaw lightly as he pushed his lips eagerly to his. Corny kissed back, just as fiercely.

Corny rapped his arms loosely around Luis's neck and pushed closer to him. Luis bent back a little, giving Corny room to move his leg around Luis's. Getting into a position that he is straddling and somewhat sitting on Luis's thigh. His thigh was hard but flexible in between Corny's own thighs that it was impossible not to sit deeper into him.

Abruptly Luis stopped and Corny looked around to see the girl sitting up, holding one knee close to her face. She sat so still on the mattress that Luis was tempted to touch her and see if she was still alive. He was so tempted that he did. He stepped away from Corny, with some difficulty on his own part and knelt down beside her. His timidness came back and with a slight touch on her shoulder the girl shot her head up to be looking at Luis square in the face.

Corny saw nothing and heard nothing, but something happened when she looked into Luis's eyes. It was like an invisible gun shot that got them both in the chest and they both repelled backwards trying to get away from the pain. Luis was barely off his knees and stumbling so low to the ground that he crashed in a side table, knocking it on its side then colliding into the wall, holding his eyes with shaking palms. The girl did the same, but with this wall having pictures hung loosely that some fell with the sound of broken glass. Her eyes were wide open staring at the ground, unfocused, breathing harshly.

Corny ran to Luis, but he flinched away from his touch. His body shaking violently. Then Corny heard sobbing. He turned around slowly to see the girl crying into her hands with graceless tears seeping between her fingers.

"I am so sorry, Luis," was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

Corny's eyed widened to the size of dinner plates as he heard Luis's name come out of her mouth. No one said his name or his. He walked slowly to her. Putting his hand gently on her shoulder.

"What are you sorry about?" he cooed softly.

"His brother. Getting killed. Its never left him. The thought of if he could have did something prevent it," she whimpered softly.

Corny sat down next to her, cross legged, and stared at her. It was unbelievable.

"Who are you?" was all Corny could think off as he watched the girl cry and Luis shaking like a wet kitten.


	3. Troisième Oeil Aveugle

Hey, I am sooooo sorry that I haven't up-dated for a while

**Hey, I am sooooo sorry that I haven't up-dated for a while! I have had some MAJOR writers block! Reviews are welcome. . . (Italicized words are thoughts)**

As Luis shook in the corner, Corny stared intently at the girl waiting for his answer. But she sat silently, unmoving. Corny's eyes scanned her more closely, taking in every detail of her.

Her skin was pail from the cold, with her scraggly brown hair coming past her scarred, wide, muscular shoulders.

There were 7 white lines on the side of her neck

The girl's lips were plump and full. Angling perfectly to complement her face.

3 scars going vertically from shoulder to collar bone.

She had a broad jaw that almost seemed masculine, but was very much feminine in her own way.

27 from bicep to elbow.

As Corny kept searching her, he saw that she didn't have the pencil thin figure that most girls craved for. It was odd for him to see, because all the girls he does see are mostly fairies with perfect, frail looking, figures. All of them being skin and bone thin. This girl was thin, but she was muscular thin. Her body was so defined and sculpted that you couldn't have helped but stare.

46 scars from her elbow to her finger tips.

The girl smiled weakly, closing her pained eyes.

"Thanks. I try to work hard," she said softly.

Corny sat impassively, the only sign of response was the slight widening of his eyes. The girl opened her eyes and looked at Luis.

Her look was longing, but it was almost upset. She kept staring at him like she was longing for his forgiveness. Forgiveness from what? It was hard to tell, because it was being stifled by something else entirely. A tear started to form in the corner of her eye. She blinked it away, looked away and stared at a spot on the floor in front of Corny.

"Go help your boyfriend. Luis needs you right now," she said meekly, getting up in one fluid movement.

She stood in front of Corny for a second, waiting for him to say something. When he didn't she walked past him, heading to the door.

"How do you know he's my boyfriend? How do you even know his name?!" Corny pitched at her as he sprang up.

His voice was full of aggravated confusion, that he couldn't help but yell.

The girl was still walking to the door with a slight sway of her shoulders and hips. Her gate was tall and straight, reminding him some what of a military drill sergeant. She stopped with in arms length of the door and turned full face, but not looking at his face.

"The same way I know yours Cornelius or should I say Corny. Since that's what every body else calls you," she told him.

Her body seeming to shrink into itself as she said each word.

"That's not what I asked," Corny growled through his teeth.

"That's exactly what you asked. You just didn't get the answer you wanted," The girl told him.

"Then give me an answer that I want,"

"You didn't ask me a question,"

"Yes, I did smart ass!"

"And what question would that be?" the girl asked smoothly

**Corny: **_'This is going in circles!'_

**The Girl:**_ 'Ask the right questions and it might get you somewhere'_

Corny jumped back and hit a small table that seemed to be conveniently placed behind him. He grasped at it to keep himself from falling to his knees. He stared at the girl, gob smack.

"Who the hell are you!" he yelled at her.

"You already asked that question," she said coolly, walking towards him.

"B. . . But. . . But you never answered it," he stuttered, trying to gain some control over his shock.

" 'Tis true. But that question needs time to be answered," the girls voice seemed to change, becoming older sounding.

"Then why are you here? What do you want?"

"One question at a time, please," she said smugly.

"What do you want?" Corny asked with something hard forming in his voice.

"To help,"

"Help with what?"

"With what you do here," she said, gesturing broadly to the building.

"How do you even know what we do?"

No answer.

Her face was blank as she waited for a question she could answer. Corny stared at her face as he just realized something. The girl hasn't looked at him at all since this odd conversation started.

"Why won't you look at me?" he asked tentatively, with a tilt to his head.

Corny saw her whole body became ridged and what every color was left in her face was gone. But her eyes, that he know saw were green, became venomously bright.

"Lots of reasons," was all she said.

"What's the top reason?" Corny could feel himself winning this now.

"Do You Want The Same Thing That Happened To Luis, Happen To You?" she yelled harshly at him, her face becoming red with aggravation.

"What happened to Luis!"

"She saw everything," said a meek voice.

Corny jumped, again. He turned around and saw Luis leaning heavily on a wall with his arms rapped tightly around his slouched body. Corny rushed over to his boyfriend, feeling a surge of panic wash over his body. He grabbed one of his arms and rapped it around his neck, holding Luis's waist tight as Corny walked him to the couch in the other room. The girl followed, far behind.

"What do you mean 'she saw everything'?" Corny asked quietly to Luis's vacant face.

"Exactly that," His voice was slightly slurred.

"But what does that mean?"

Luis's eyes fluttered closed and his head drooped back on his neck, hitting the back of the couch. Corny's eyes flashed red. He grabbed a fist full of Luis's shirt, pulled him up and back handed him across the jaw. It connected with a solid _THWAP_ and Corny's grip fell from his shirt as Luis's head followed the direction of the hit. His body fell to the body of the couch and Luis shook his head in confusion. There was a clear red mark on Luis's jaw from Corny's knuckles.

"You Bastard! What's Your Problem!" Luis yelled rubbing his jaw.

"What's My Problem?! My Problem Is That No One Is Giving Me A Fuckin' Straight Answer!" Corny yelled at both Luis and the girl.

The house was quiet as the sound of Corny's voice dissipated.

Luis's face seemed to sober as he heard Corny's yell. Corny looked into Luis's eyes (or eye) and saw that he wanted to give him the answer, but something was keeping it back. Corny sighed heavily and fell back onto the couch next to Luis, holding his head in his hands.

"Fairies I can deal with. Even the Unseelie and Seelie Court I can deal with, but all this riddle B.S. I. . ."

"You ever heard that the eyes are the portal to the soul?" the girl started.

Corny shock his head, looking at a spot on the floor.

"It's not just a figure of speech," was her explanation.

Corny looked to the girl, who immediate looked away.

He got up off the couch and started to walk to the girl. Luis grabbed his wrist to pull him back. Corny shot him a look that said 'don't fuck with me' and Luis got up with him. They both walked up to the girl, with Luis behind Corny. Corny was so close to the girl that he could hear the air of her inhales fill her lungs and leave when she exhaled.

"Give me a straight answer," he ordered to her face.

"That's as clear as I can make it without putting you through what Luis is going through," she said in a hushed voice.

He looked at Luis over his shoulder and a dark red flush formed from his chest to the top of his forehead. Another flash of anger whipped through Corny and he ended up pushing the girl into a wall, holding her there by his own weight with a hand full of her shirt in each of his hands. The girl instinctively grabbed his hands and shut her eyes tight as she was forced to face him.

"What did you do to him," he growled, pressing harder.

Her face formed a wicked smile.

"Go a head and kill me. I've been wanting to die ever since I first looked into someone," her voice was harsh from lack of oxygen.

Corny loosened his grip.

"Looked into someone?"

"She looks into someone's eyes and sees everything they have seen," Luis starts, rapping his hand around his waist, "_Everything_"

Corny's eyes widened and his hands fell to his sides. The girl slid down the wall, gagging on the air. Soon her gags became sobs.

"I am so sorry," she cried softly.

That was the last thing Corny heard from her when the door opened and a frantic women started calling in French.

"Aidez S'il vous plaît! Ma fille a été prise!"


	4. A Shadows Voice Is Heard

**I know Corny was not himself last chapter, but, hey, you get annoyed enough everyone is bound to do something out of character! . Haha! Reviews are welcome! And if no one knows French, I'll put the translations at the end of the chapter. . . Stupid Question. . . Which Court is Roiben a part of? Is it Seelie? Its been to long since I read the book! . (so confused!)**

Luis ran out of the room and into the front room. Corny stayed, standing over the girl. Her body was curled up with her head resting on the wall. She seemed so small and empty. More tears came out of her eyes and she made no effort to wipe them away or hide them.

"Corny, come in here," Luis called.

Corny hesitated a moment, then finally answered the order. He fell into Luis side and saw a stout elderly woman with different colored raps tied all around her. Out of the corner of Corny's eye he saw Luis's gaze go blank for just a split second and then stared intently at the woman.

(translation is at the end of the page. First, section)

"Je suis ici. Parlez-vous l'anglais ?" Luis asked.

Corny's gaze snapped to Luis. He didn't know Luis knew French! He didn't even know he knew any sort of language!

"Pas assez pour comprendre" the woman stated, distressed

The only word Corny got out of that quote was comprende- comprehend.

"Madame, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?" Luis asked, again

'_What is that? Is that an echo. . .' _

"J'ai besoin de l'aide, s'il vous plaît! Ils l'ont volée, ils l'ont volée!" she exclaimed

"Qui l'a volée ?"

'_There it is again!'_

"Les Fées! Les Fées l'ont prise!"

' '_Fées'? Oh God! Fairies! 2 years of French finally paid off!'_

Luis's gaze went blank, again. This time Corny saw it.

"Her daughter. . ."

"What the hell was that?!" Corny interrupted.

"What?"

"That! That whole French crap! You don't even know French! And what was that echo?!"

Luis grabbed Corny's shoulders and jarred him slightly to get his attention. He stared into his eyes to make sure he had his full interest.

"Corny! You know I love you and I can't stand to be 5 feet apart from you, but we have a job to do! I will explain everything as soon as I can, but first we need to help her find her daughter, she was taken by fairies," Luis told him.

Corny shook his head and looked at the overly worried face of the woman. He wriggled out of the strong grip of his shoulders and took a breath to compose himself.

"Ask her where she was taken and if she witnessed it. If she did, what did the fairies look like and if there was some sort of conflict. We need every detail,"

Luis turned back to the woman and the blank look came and went.

(Translation- Second section)

"Où a-t-elle été prise ? Avez-vous vu l'enlèvement?" Luis asked emotionless

"Oui, je l'ai vu. Elle allait à la maison du magasin"

"Auquel les fées ont-elles ressemblé ?"

"Cheveux verts, en argent et oaux pochés"

Luis shuts and rubs his eyes in exasperation with a heavy heave of his shoulders. This old lady was getting them nowhere fast

"What is it? What did she say?' Corny asked

"She said that the fairies that took her where green and silver with black eyes," Luis told him.

"Sounds like every other fairy we dealt with,"

"Yah, that's what's so damn annoying,"

There was silence as Corny and Luis debated on what to do.

"I can help,"

Luis and Corny turned to the direction of the voice and saw the girl standing as straight as a piece of steal. She was looking at Luis with the same look of asking for forgiveness in her greens as before. Luis faced the girl, with his arms crossed on his chest as both him and the girl stood silently.

**Corny: **_'What is the deal with this chick? I can't believe that Luis can stand being next to here! She's too dangerous! If its as bad as she says it is, she needs to be incapacitated!'_

Corny scowled slightly, but relaxed as he saw the girl break the stare. She closed her eyes and spoke to Corny.

"I wasn't lying when I said I came here to help. I have less harsh way to see and F. Y. I. I can hear your thoughts,"

Corny's face reddened and slouched in his sweatshirt. The girl brought a pair of darkly tinted glasses out of her back pocket and walked to the stout woman, leaving Luis and Corny wondering.

**Corny: **_'Did she pull that out of her ass!'_

**Luis: **_'Show off'_

The girl smirked and started to talk to the lady in fluent French.

"Bonjour, je dois ici aider. Puis-je avoir votre main s'il vous plaît?" she asked holding out her hand

The woman looked to Luis for an answer. He nodded his head and the woman tentatively placed her small hand in the girls larger hand. The girl's body stiffened and both Luis and Corny jumped in panic only to be stopped short. The French woman was unfazed. The girl pulled away harshly with sweat beads forming on her brow.

"We need to get Kay and Roiben. Now!" she snapped looking at Luis with harsh eyes.

Luis and Corny were the first to run past the woman and out of the door into the down pour outside. The girl followed suit, running right with Luis.

"Hey! You never told us your name!" Corny called over the rain.

"I haven't told you a lot of things," she started, "But you can me M for now,"

* * *

"I am here. Do you speak English?"

"Not enough to understand"

"Madam, what is wrong?"

"I need help, please! They stole her, they stole her!"

"Who stole her?"

"The Fairies! The Fairies took her!"

* * *

Where was she taken? Did you see the abduction?

Yes, I saw it. She was coming home from the store

What did the fairies look like?

Green, silver hair and black eyes


	5. Sharp Eyes Fly

**Yes! I know! The last chapter was really short! I'm sorry! I was in a hurry to get it finished before Writers Block set in completely! Reviews, spell checkers and people that can help me with the details from the books are HIGHLY welcome! It's been over 2 and a half years since I read the books! .**

"Where the hell are they!" yelled M over the rain.

Luis, Corny and M were frantically running to find Roiben and Kaye. None of them was sure why, other than M and she acting like a blood hound searching for an escaped convict. The stopped in the middle of the road, already having looked in every spot they would have been in. Rain wasn't helping the situation. All three were so soaked and saturated that their clothes couldn't hold anymore water and was puddling around them.

They stood back to back. Each doing a complete 360 at different intervals, already knowing they weren't going to find them just turning in circles. M turned to the guys, being careful to keep her stare away from Corny.

"You know anyway to contact them?" she asked pulling her hands to her hips, while Corny and Luis stood shaking; arms folded close to their chests.

Luis shook his head or more shivered as he shrunk deeper into his wife-beater. M did another 360, going slowly, rubbing her hands through her hair in exasperation.

"A little cold M," Corny smirked.

M placed a hand on her chest absently, while still looking about.

"Just a little," she chattered, "They should call you Horny instead of Corny for the thoughts I hear coming out of you,"

Corny's eyes widened. He forgot that she could do that. But Luis's eyes shrunk to a seductive size with a small pull of a smirk in the corner of his lip. M's hand collided with the side of his head. Catching him by surprise that he yelped.

"Hey!" he rubbed his head.

"Knock it off! Its bad enough I have to hear his, let alone yours!" she glared at him, poking a hard finger in to his chest.

"I guess you don't want my forgiveness then!" Luis scowled at her, rubbing his chest.

"Not at the moment no," she told him flat out, "Right now I want to save that girl. Her mother was lying to you"

Corny and Luis stared at her.

"The girl's so called mother traded her daughter for her own freedom, because she made a deal with one of the Courts and couldn't follow through with it. And, yes, she knew perfect English. She's fluent in 7 different languages," she told them with anger and spite caking every word.

"That bitch!" growled Luis

"We need to find the girl, before anything happens to her. That's why we need Roiben and Kaye,"

"But why did she come to us to help her find her?" Corny asked.

"Because she knew that you guys are intertwined with the Courts as well as Roiben and Kaye, but they were the ones who ordered the fairies to get her for the mother's idiot mistake. She came to you, knowing you didn't know the whole story. You go find her daughter, break her out, hand her over and you become enemy number one. She has her freedom and daughter back. She gets her cake and eats it too," she explained.

There was silence as the rain fell harder.

"Shut up Corny!" and M thumped him in the head too.

"Ha!" Luis barked.

"Cram it!" Corny snapped

"You started it!" Luis wined.

"Well I'm Going To Finish It!" M yelled and thwapped them both in the head.

They both looked at her, rubbing their heads, wondering if they'll make it through this in relatively one piece.

"We could. . . Never mind," Corny started.

"What? What is it?" M asked looking at his shoulders.

Luis panicked for a minute second.

"It's stupid. He wouldn't help use even if we asked,"

"Tell me anyway. Half the time stupid ideas are what get you out of a jam,"

"Ravus," he told her plainly.

"Ravus? What's a Ravus?" M asked, turning to Luis.

"Ravus is a troll. He makes different spells and magic powders," Luis explained, not seeing the point.

M slapped them, again for the third time.

"What was that for?" they both chimed at the same time.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me that earlier!"

They stared at her with a hateful scowl on their faces.

M sprinted into the designated direction, with Corny and Luis stumbling behind. The dense forest zooms past them as they race to Ravus's, but something caught Corny's eye. Something was following them.

"M- Nine o'clock" he murmured, knowing she would hear him.

A flash of bright green filled her eyes and then was gone. Leaving her eyes with a deeper hue than before. She pumped her legs harder and then shot herself in the air to an inhuman height. The guys kept running, even though they looked on in bewildered aw. M caught the wind and was pushed in the direction of the trees. As she descended, M disappeared into the tree tops. There was a quick, harsh rustle and then something came zooming out of the trees. It nearly hit Luis square in the head, but he dropped to his stomach right before the collision.

M came out of the forest and helped Luis to his feet.

"What the hell was that?" Luis barked, shaking slightly in her grasp.

M glared at the spot the object went flying with annoyance clear on her face.

"A fly-on-the-wall," was all she said, "Come on, before they send more,"

And they set off again.

"Thanks for the quick eye, Corny," she thanked him, genuinely.

Corny looked at her, somewhat surprised.

"You're welcome,"

A small smile of gratitude pecked at her lips as they kept running to, hopefully, away to help the girl.


	6. Mental Link to Mental Case

**Sorry this took so long. I've had some major writers block on how to make this story go. . . Hope you like it! Reviews are welcome. . .**

"Shit! We passed it!" Corny cursed, stopping sharply.

The short stop making Luis and M skid on their feet. M slipped too far and fell to her stomach with a solid _thump._

"Oomph!"

"Are you alright?" Luis yelled over the rain, running and skidding to her, without falling.

"Show off," she barked as he helped her up.

M got to her feet and took off running after Corny, without checking herself. Luis ran in back of her for the time being, seeing as she wasn't going to checker herself to see if she was alright he was.

He moved his eyes over her frame and was shocked. Her body was shredded, scratched, punctured and bruised. He watched her run and saw a slight limp in her strides. Luis couldn't believe that he hadn't seen this earlier.

"M are you. . ." Luis started, a clear sign of worry in his voice.

"I'm FINE Luis," she practically growled at him, emphasizing the word to make it clear she didn't want anymore talk about it.

Luis mentally backed off; bring his thoughts back to himself. He looked forward and ran past M to catch up with Corny. As soon as his back was to M he felt a pull at his heart that she would leave and the impulse to look back grew. He turned his head slightly to see her out of the corner of his eye and she was still there. Was her skin a little less white?

M's face morphed with shock and she pushed past Luis. He stumbled heavily and the only thing he saw was M's body smash into Corny's. Covering him like a protective cover.

"What the hell are you doing!" Corny clawed at her.

M wouldn't let him out of her steal grip. He scratched her desperately until a muffled _THUD _cut through all the noise around them. M's arms went limp around Corny. His scratching hands rapped around her body to keep her up right as she started to collapse.

Something lukewarm started to flow over Corny's fingers. It was a soft and sickening liquid that sent shivers down his spine. He looked up and gasped at the sight. Blood was running down M's white lips as her eyes glazed over. She hiccupped, trying to get air in her lungs, but only more blood spilled out.

"Luis!" Corny yelled only to want to take it back.

M's face cringed in pain and flinched away. She jarred herself out of Corny's grip and was barely able to stand.

She was hunched over herself and slowly folded to the ground. She fell to her hands and knees, before she could safely sit down and Corny saw a silver gilded blade sticking out of the middle of her back.

Corny jumped with horror and shock, nearly falling to the ground himself.

"LUIS!" He cried more desperately, going to M.

He knelt down next to her crippled body. Her hiccups came faster as she gagged on blood and air. Her back arched and crimson bile came pouring out of her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Corny asked the first thing that came into his mind.

She turned her head and glared at his shoulder with half glazed eyes. Red was dripping off her chin that Corny could barely look at her with out a sick feeling rising to his chest.

"Right, stupid question,"

Her head dropped back down on her neck. Corny couldn't think of anything to do to help. He started to fidget wildly. Reaching for her back, but pulled away not sure if that was safest.

"What. . . Who. . . Umm. . . I don't know!" he stumbled over his words and questions he had filling his head.

"Pull it out," M rasped hoarsely, spitting blood as she talked

"What?" Corny asked, leaning closer to her.

"Pull the damn thing out!" She screeched and he fell to his back, scrambling back to his knees.

He grabbed a hold of the hilt of blade with both hands and M groaned in pain. Corny went to pull away.

"Don't!" she yelped and he held his place, "I'm fine. Just get it out" she ordered softly, loosing consciousness.

He nodded and held tight.

"On three. One. . . two," and he pulled up in one fluid movement.

Her body arched in pain and shook to keep the scream from breaking the sound barrier.

"SHIT!!" she growled.

A small stream of blood started to run off the sides of her back from the hole of the blade.

"You Said Three!" was all she could get out in one breath and still sound threatening.

"People always tense up at three and it makes it hurt worse," he answered, taking his sweatshirt off and pressing his firmly to her back. She hissed through her teeth at the sting. She shivered, fighting with herself to not move away. She let out an exasperated sign and let the pain seep through her entire body.

"Luis is coming," M slurred and swayed with the rainy wind.

Corny turned around and saw Luis stumbling up to them. He started to go towards his boyfriend, but stopped, thinking he needed to stay with M. He was mentally stuck between the two.

M took the soiled sweatshirt from Corny and rose up on her knees, with a groan.

"What are you doing!" Corny started, hovering his arms around her.

"I'm fine," she told him, spitting out the puddling blood in her mouth, "Go see what's wrong with him,"

She tied the sweatshirt around her and sat down on her backside. Corny got off his knees, running towards Luis. He gets in arms length of him and stops. Something's wrong. He was limping and his head hung low on his neck.

"Luis? Are you alright?" Corny asked.

Luis's head rose and he spat in the other direction. He licked his blood smeared teeth and spat again, trying to get all the blood out.

"I haven't felt this bad since I got jumped coming home from school," He coughed and spat.

Corny looked at him a little confused. When did Luis get jumped?

Luis read his face like a book.

"That was 7 years ago," he told him, wobbling over to M.

**Corny:**_ 'Shit!'_

He ran over to Luis and rapped his arm around his shoulder, to give him more stability.

"I think someone doesn't want us to see Ravus," Luis stated to M.

"Yah, because they know he can help us. That's why we need to get there fast, before something bad happens," She told them, wiping her mouth clean.

Corny looked at her in horror.

"Before something bad happens?! M you got stabbed in the back! You should be dead. . . I should. . . be. . . dead," he froze for a second.

"As you can see I am not and neither are you,"

"Yah, but why do I feel like I got stabbed and I wasn't even near you two," Luis asked them, confused aggravation clear in his voice.

"Because you were. Well, mentally you were,"

"Huh?" Luis and Corny chimed in at the same time.

"When Luis looked into my eyes, we became mentally link and one of the many side affects is that if I get physically hurt he feels the pain, just as I do, without the outward appearance of being hurt." She explained it, like she explained a thousand more times before this.

"That is fucked up," Luis established plainly.

"Yah, I know. I'm sorry, but we really need to get to this Ravus guy if we want to find Roiben and Kaye. . . and if we want to make it there alive" she added the last part under her breath.

"It's about a 20 minute run from here, but that's if we keep running like we were," Luis confirmed.

M rubbed her hand over her eyes and huffed.

"You're going to make me work, aren't you," she whined to herself.

"I honestly don't think I can run like that like this," Luis told them truthfully, holding his arm tight around himself.

"I don't think I can either. I'll just rip the skin again and bleed twice as much," She informed them, pulling the sweatshirt closer, "And sorry about your sweatshirt. I'll get you another one,"

"It's fine," Corny said small-ly.

"How are we suppose to get there? None of us has a phone," she stated.

"M, you could. . ." Luis let it hang there, but she picked up right away.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I am not going to put you guys in more danger than necessary,"

"It's the only way we have to get there,"

"Yes, but you don't realize what it will do to you guys. I can barely recover from it myself,"

"M. . ."

There was silence and you could see the walls crumbling around M.

"Fine, but I told you so,"

"I won't hold it to you,"

M came up to the two guys and rapped her long arms around them both, holding them close, which was kind of awkward for Corny, because she was as tall as Luis and Corny came to Luis's shoulder. Luis rapped his muscular arms around M's slim waist, pulling her tighter in, as he tucked his head into the cook of her neck and Corny did the same, but backed off with a red face.

"It's fine," she told him softly, with no emotion behind it.

Corny fidgeted a moment, thinking if she was serious or not. But when she didn't looked back at him he pulled himself as close as Luis did and laid his head on her soft, large, bosom, looking at Luis to keep his mind off her protruding cleavage.

"Hold on tight," was the last thing they heard her say.

The scenery zoomed past them in a frenzy of color. Mixing together to make a threatening black. Corny thought he was going to fall, but no matter how loose his grip got, M always seemed to have a solid grip around him. Luis's dark skin, became pasty and M's white skin glowed a hint of a sickening green. Corny's mind started to reel, making his stomach hop to this throat. His body started to shake as well as Luis's. The only one that seem to stay stable was M. Luis could hear M struggling to keep control and Corny could feel her grip slipping, fraction by fraction. Until it stopped. It was a hard stop that nearly sent all three flying into the side of a building, but it was a stop.

Corny and Luis fell to the ground in a heap, while M struggled to keep her balance, failing miserably as she fell over Luis. Corny took the chance to open his eyes and saw a door 10 feet away. He'll never forget that door. It was Ravus's door. He loved that damned door at the moment.

"We made it," He breathed in one breath, turning his head away.

"Good," M said, Corny could already hear the threats coming out of her mouth.

She got off of Luis and stumbled like a drunk to the door. M started to pound on the door, not caring who saw.

"Ravus! We've Been Punked, Stabbed, Traveled through the Time Space Continuum and I Have a Headache That Could Crack another Grand Canyon Thirty Times Over! You Do NOT What To Keep Me Waiting! I've Been Waiting For 70 Years As It Is! So Open The Door!"

Corny nearly laughed at that.


	7. You Push, I Pull

**I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!!! i COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTINUE!!!! ****AGH****!!! ****YOU**** ALL PROBABLY HATE ME NOW!!!! (bowing at your feet for forgiveness!!) Reviews are welcome. . .**

"Wow, you really are a troll," M shot with a bitter retort as the door opened.

"Who are you?" the too tall troll asked, eyeing M as she stared at his shoulders, "and what are you looking at?" looking at his shoulder.

"She's. . . she's with us, Ravus," Luis called, slowly getting up.

"Luis? Are you alright?" Ravus called out into the rain and steps out, instantly covering his body with a thin coat of glamour.

His troll skin became human looking as he stepped out of the shadows of the door. His face became normal, but his body was still too tall and lanky. M stood there, truly amazed for the first time in years. Her eyes followed Ravus and watched the troll/human help Luis. She finally snapped out of it and went to help Corny, still lying on his back, face up to the rain. M pulled at his arm, bringing it around his neck, lifting his soggy body up to his feet. Corny groaned from the sudden blood rush to his head, while M gasped in pain as the dead weight of his body pulled at her wounded back.

Ravus walked Luis to the door, while M followed behind, hoping desperately that Corny would be alright. She knew he felt like shit, but each person's response to the s_hift_, as she called it, varied.

M came in and shut the door behind her with a strategically placed foot. It was dark, but her eyes adjusted unnaturally quick.

"Mind your. . ." Ravus started to warn.

"Got it," M called, maneuvering gracefully out of the way of the pots and jars placed haphazardly about the floor.

There was a chair near a table filled with, what M would call, junk and sat Corny carefully in the rickety seat. His head fell back on his neck and he groaned tiredly. M reached a hand behind his neck, to bring his head back to a more comfortable position. She knelt down in front of him and cradled his wet face in her frigid hands.

"Corny?" she called softly, "Corny, you need to wake up,"

A groan of disdain escaped his throat.

"I know it hurts, but you need to wake up. It only gets worse if you fall a sleep. Trust me, I tried," she pat his cheek lightly to get his attention.

His eyes open to slits and M averted her eyes to his shoulder, before she could feel any push of memories from Corny's mind.

"There we go," she cooed like a worried doctor.

Corny's head fell to his knees, held up by wobbly arms, as he fought against the pain. M's hands fell to his shoulders in worry.

"Are you going to be alright?" she whispered softly.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I need to go see if Luis is alright, okay? Tell me if it gets worse,"

He nodded his head.

M got up with painful protest from her back and started to hobble over to Luis, averting the clusters of random jars.

"M?" Corny called meekly.

"Yeah," M answered softly, knowing sound makes the pain worse.

"Thank you,"

M stood there, a little confused. She turned and looked at his folded body, almost like she didn't understand what he said to her.

"For what?" a perplexed look clear in her eyes.

"For saving my life," he mumbled, knowing she would hear him clear as a bell.

M was silent again. She hadn't a clue of what to say. In her whole life, which is a really, _really_ long life, she was never thanked for saving a life. Not once. When she put her body in front of Corny's it was like second nature to her and the only thing that she was thinking was _'Save Corny'_ and everything else just happened.

"You don't have. . . I just. . . I . . .," She stumbled heavily over her words.

"Girl! Luis is asking for you," yelled Ravus across the room.

M saw Corny flinch from the loud boom of the troll's voice and could almost feel herself break for him. She stood there looking from Corny to Luis and Luis to Corny. Stuck at whom to go to or stay with. With some difficultly, and Ravus yelling for her again, she went to Luis.

Luis looked just as bad as Corny. His dark skin had a sickening green glow and his head was in his hands on his knees. She knelt down, like she did with Corny.

"Yeah,"

"How is he?" Luis slurred with the sound of sickness in his voice.

"About as good as you're doing. The pain will go away in a few hours, just don't fall asleep and—you!" she shot quietly at Ravus, turning around and looking at his shoulder again, "Stop yelling. It makes the pain worse."

Ravus looked at her with big yellow eyes that screamed, silently, "How _dare_ you!" But M brushed it off like it was nothing. With eyes still screaming and a hint of annoyance, Ravus looked her up and down.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked bitterly.

"M, and we need help to find Kaye and Roiben," she informed him with a soft exasperated sigh.

Ravus's face went void of expression at the mention of Kaye and Roiben. He turned on his heels and started to make himself look like he was busy.

"Sorry. Can't help you," he rushed too quickly.

M stood there with her arms crossed on her chest.

"Why not," she asked coolly.

That seemed to unnerve him.

"Because I don't like to associate with the courts," he told her, still looking like he was doing work.

"Well, the hole in my back is saying other wise. Usually, when someone or something tries to stop you from getting to your destination it puts up a huge red sign that says, 'I Got Something You Need!' Am I wrong?" she asked challengingly.

Ravus's long fingers stopped moving furiously and slowed to a stop.

"If you don't help us, you'd be stopping us from saving an innocent girl sentenced to death, because her mother couldn't keep her word to the courts," M whispered thickly.

Her voice holding more authority than it ever has.

A spike of Luis' thought pounded into M's mind. His thoughts were clumsy as he clawed his way in, searching for her mental voice to hold onto. M grabbed a hold of a royal blue wave of color that rippled through the dark pools of her mind. She disturbed the track of the color and Luis' voice boomed into her mind.

**Luis:** _'You didn't tell me the girl was sentenced!'_

**M:**_ 'I didn't know until a while ago.' _

She sent her thought to Luis in a wave of crimson.

**Luis**_: 'How the hell did you find out! You were with us the whole time!'_

**M:**_ 'When Corny found that fly-on-the-wall. The thing kept thinking '_Kill! Kill! KILL!'_'_

**Luis:**_ 'That _thing_ was a Brownie'_

**M:**_ 'Well, whatever it was it knew that the girl was going to be executed'_

Their conversation ended and a little less than a second had passed.

M closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling heavily. She rotated her neck like it pestered her, the bones popping loudly in the silent room.

"Why won't you help us, Ravus?" M asked looking down to the floor, rubbing her eyes.

"I told you. . ."

"What's the real reason?" M asked simply, setting off everyone's nerves.

Ravus was quiet. Shifting from foot to foot, not sure if he should tell her or not.

"You don't have to tell me or Luis or Corny if you don't want to. We just need your help to find them and I'll be the one responsible to help with your problem, for payment, for your help," M promised.

"Who says I have a problem," Ravus growled at M.

"It doesn't take a genius to see it," she spat at him.

The troll's face folded in a deep scowl.

"You can't help even if you tried," His voice going low, but the sound of tears was making its way up his throat.

"Why not? How do you even know if I can help or not? You don't even know what I can do!"

With M's questions getting right to the point of things.

"Because Nobody Can!" His voice booming loudly into the room.

M could have sworn she felt the floor shake.

A hiss of pain came from behind M. M jumped around to see Luis folded over his legs, about ready to fall to his knees, pressing his hands to his head, trying desperately to stop the pain. Luis sat up sharply in his chair, shaking and biting his bottom lip to hold in the scream. His eyes were watering and the veins in the side of his head pulsed madly.

"Shit!" M muttered to herself and rushed to Luis's side.

M overlapped her hands over his and dug her fingers into his, to try and pry them away. Luis pushed back, but M jabbed her sharp nails into the soft skin of his fingers. It was enough to hurt his pallet without drawing blood. His hands fell with the pull and Luis couldn't help but let a groan of pain escape his lips.

"Ssshhh, it'll be alright. Just breathe and push the pain away," M advised, sincere of her worry for him.

He didn't seem to be listening to her. Luis kept shaking and tears flowed from his closed eyes. Hiccups mixed with gags started to escape his swollen throat as he tried to stop the pain.

"Luis, listen to me," M whispered into his ear, "You can't tried and stop the pain. You need to push it away"

Luis's hands squeezed M hands violently, trying desperately to find sanctuary from the pain.

"Push it way," M's voice carried with the stilted air of the room, "Just push it away"

Luis let her voice fill his head with her soft words that covered his whole body. It soothed the burning pain that sat behind his eyes and singed his tender temples. The soft vibration of M's voice was like an aloe that helped the burn, but didn't completely stop the internal pain. To Luis, it was enough to help.

Luis's face relaxed, with heavy exhales leaving his lungs. He winced just once, but kept pushing it out. There was coughing and gags that sounded behind M. She looked over her shoulder and saw Corny, leaning back in his chair, coughing, covering his mouth, trying not to shake.

"Damn it," M rasped, "I'll be right back"

M hopped off her knees and ran to Corny.

"Corny? Can you hear me?" M rushed, crouching down by his side.

He nodded his head, yes, and removed his hand, looking down at it.

"Yeah, but I think I'm bleeding," Corny rasped from a sore throat.

M grabbed Corny's wrist gently and turned it her way.

Sure enough, there was a stream of spittle mixed blood running down his palm. M could feel tears of helplessness building up in the corner of her eyes. She wiped them away before they fell and sat on the floor beside Corny. She took a calming breath, but it did no good. All it did was send unpleasant shivers down her spine, making the tears come again. She looked away to hide her emotion, but it was too late. Corny already saw the crippled M.

"M? What's wrong?" Corny asked, wiping the blood on his pants.

She didn't turn back around to talk to him.

"You have to understand, I never meant to hurt anyone," M started to groan in her hands as she couldn't stop the tears.

"What are you talking about?" Corny looked at M with confused eyes.

"You've known me all of six hours so far and all I've been to you and Luis is a bitch. You ever wonder why? Even the worst, self-imposed bitches of the world don't last this long" M's tears sobered as she wiped the remnants away.

Corny shrugged his shoulders.

"PMS?" Corny joked futilely.

M chuckled, but it fell short.

"No, not even close. The truth is—is that I don't want to get close to anybody. Because I know in the end they'll die or I'll hurt them," M told him frankly, looking at his shoulder.

Corny's voice was a mixture of fear and confusion, "What do you mean 'they'll die'?"


	8. Drink On Thines Breath

**Big thanks to my beta, Amethyst Grey, for helping me with my last chapter!! Couldn't have done it with out her!!! Thanks Grey!! (I own nothing except M and the plot)**

M didn't answer.

Instead she got up off the floor and walked over to Luis. Corny watched her bloody back sway as he finally noticed the small limp in her stride.

M leaned over Luis's sweating frame, whispering into his ear. Corny couldn't hear what she had said, but before he could ask Luis swung out of his chair. He grabbed M's throat with one hand and shoved her body into the nearest wall, knocking over a small side table in the process. M's face was stoic as her body jarred fiercely from impact. The only defense she made to protect herself was a resting hand round Luis's grasping wrist. Luis pushed hard on M's throat and started to slide her body up the wall, until her feet dangled off the floor. Still, her face showed no emotion and still no move to protect her airway.

He stared harshly into M's eyes. Luis wanted her blood and he wanted it now, ready to kill if he had too. M's face stared void, even if she clearly saw what Luis was willing to do. Corny, who was halfway across the room, saw this. Corny started to get out of his chair, but his legs failed him as he collapsed back onto the seat in a coughing fit. More blood came up, burning his raw throat. His lungs wheezed and his heart thumped in his chest, ready to pop out of its cage.

M's attention snapped to Corny with a shock of horror widening her eyes. Luis brought her off the wall then slammed her back against it, getting her full attention, again. M's face glared at Luis as she answered his reaction.

"I can hurt you in more ways than you can think of," M growled with clenched teeth.

M's benign hand seized to life as her long fingers started to wrap the full length of Luis's wrist. Her thumb and forefinger pulled together, squeezing the susceptible bones out of line. Luis gritted his teeth together, forcing himself not the fold into the awkward sensation. M squeezed harder, coiling the rest of her fingers to support the weakening hold on her throat.

"I want answers and I want them now," Luis hissed into M's face.

"I don't have time," M told him, a hint of worry in her grating words, "If I don't help him, he'll die with in the hour,"

Luis made another pull to slam her again, but in one fluid movement, faster than Luis could follow, M had his hand off her throat, captured his arm and jammed it to his back. She pushed him to the same wall, holding her free arm behind his neck to keep him stabilized. Luis started to struggle immediately. He pushed against her, arching his back and wriggling his shoulders around to dislodge her hold, but M's grasp didn't budge. Luis got one leg up to the wall and started to push. It was useless. He would have had a better chance of pushing over a steal lamppost, buried in concrete.

"Hey! Get off him!" Corny yelled as he sprung from his chair.

Bad idea.

Corny's knees felt numb and the room seemed to spin. His stomach churned and he felt himself falling to the ground, as blood spilled out of his mouth.

M sprang to life. One moment she was behind Luis, the next she was half way across the room, her arms catching Corny around the middle in thin air. Luis fell from the wall with the loss of M's huge weight and stumbled, backwards into his chair.

"Luis! I need to!" M yelled across the room to his form that was flat on his back, an upturned chair under one of his legs.

He leapt back up to his feet and glared at her, his shoulders heaving with anger, but the killers look was gone from his eyes.

"Stay away from his mind," he told her in one heavy of breath.

"I can't promise that," She told him, a quiver in her words

Corny's world was whirling around him; the only thing that seemed to keep him grounded was M's cradling arm. His body hurt, but as soon as M even touched him the pain seeped away. Corny's eyes cleared and his head stopped spinning. He still felt weak as he was gently settled to the floor. Corny watched M as she laid him on his back. He tried to get up, but her hand kept him still.

"_What are you doing?"_ he tried to ask, but all that came was a cough.

"Ssshh, you'll be alright," M looked at his cheek, "Just don't fight what ever you feel, ok?"

Corny eyed her strangely, but nodded his head anyway. M swung her leg around and straddled his waist. She placed her hand on his chest and pushed gently. Corny watched her as Luis came over and sat down beside him, watching her with huge questioned eyes. M's neck went limp as her head lulled to her chest. Her hand shook violently on Corny's sternum as her head came up, looking at the wall in front of her. Corny gasped as he watched M's huge green eyes, un-blinked, glaze over until her irises were almost white. Her plump lips were pressed in a thin line as the shaking stopped and all her weight was put on her hand. It was uncomfortable for Corny and hard to breath, but he didn't complain as he told and countered the weight with taking deep breaths, expanding his rib cage.

Corny felt his eye lids get extremely heavy. They slowly drifted closed and he was bombarded by the feeling that he wasn't alone in his own head. Something more fluid than liquid and harder then steal started to fill his veins. It was hotter than fire and colder than ice, leaving him feeling like an embalmed cadaver. Gentle fingers started to ghost inside him, even if he felt M's heavy unmoved hand on his chest. It was an odd sensation and unpleasant as the probing became harder and fast, searching frantically when it couldn't find what it was looking for in the first few tries. Corny felt M's hand grate across his chest, her scraping nails dragging slowly down his torso. Corny wanted this feeling to go away. It hurt and it felt invading. Like everything was laid out in the open. He felt his fingers crick and scrape against the wooden floor, fighting with this. . . what ever it was.

The black surrounding of Corny's mind was disturbed as a blood red wave, like rippling water, came hurtling towards him. Corny wanted to stay away from it, but he had no desire to move. The ringlet collided into him and dissipated, leaving a soothing voice behind.

'_Breathe. Don't push me away,'_

The voice told him. He knew that voice, but where? It was familiar and foreign all at the same time. Corny wanted to follow the voice, but as he leaned towards the scattering voice he started to plummet into the darkness. He hit something hard. It was bumpy and smooth, like wet stone. He hurt all over. More than before. Things felt broken, twisted and sprained. His swollen eyes slit open and saw he was face down on a cobble stone rode. How did he get here? He started to rise, but his arms stayed uselessly by his sides. He closed his eyes as he heard foot steps running towards him. Trained hands started to move across his body. It hurt. He wanted to cry out, but it was too much effort.

"Tell me, child, who hath done this heinous crime to you?" asked an old voice.

What? Child? Hath? Heinous? Who says that anymore? But it was a good question. What happened to him? He thought back, but all he remembered was being in darkness. That place felt so good. He wanted to go back, but as it was about to take him it got bright with memory.

**Corny:**

'_It was cold outside. Walking. Walking somewhere. Where was I going? It doesn't matter. I crossed the road. There was no one there a moment ago. I heard something coming fast. I can make it if I run, but I don't think I did. Something hit me. There was a sound. I think it was some kind of animal. A big animal. It had metal on the bottom. It hurt as it rammed into my side and landed on my leg. There was wood, too. It clattered and I think it ran over me. Something fell on me. It was heavy and kept hitting me as it tried to get up. At least I think that's what it was trying to do. It finally got up, stepping on me a few more times before it succesed. Something wafted in the air. It smelled rank. I think it was alcohol. Rum, maybe or whisky. Whisky. It was definitely whiskey. There was a powdery smell, too. I think it might have been ladies perfume. It probably would have smelled nice if it wasn't mixed with the alcohol. Someone was yelling over me. I couldn't understand them. Their voice was really slurred. They must have been plastered, it was all one big long word when they spoke. I think they were blaming me. I heard uneven steps and a pain in my stomach. That bastard kicked me! The pain flashed, but mixed quickly with the rest that was finding its way to my conscious mind. They swaggered away then there was silence again.'_

Something grabbed and pulled Corny out of the memory, pushing him back into the darkness of his mind. Corny felt his throat strain as he screamed from a searing pain in his lower stomach. His back arched, but he was only able to get his shoulders off the floor. There was an enormous amount of weight on his waist. The pain settled to a throb as his back flopped back down. Corny started wheezing as he stared at something. There was an arm one either side of his head, as brown, wavy, stringy, wet hair hung loosely in front of his face. There was a body on top of him. A woman was leaning over him, holding herself up, looking at his chest with wide eyes, shaking like a leaf. Her mouth hung open and something red coated her teeth. Corny looked down to his shirt, feeling something wet around his stomach. He reached a slow hand to the spot, ran a finger through the dark semicircle. His finger came back red. His brow folded in question as he smeared it with his thumb. He looked back up to the woman, finally recognizing her. It was Misery. A dark arm wrapped around Misery's shoulders. She grabbed on to the arm as it slowly lifted her off of Corny. He followed the olive tone arm and came to a stern looking face. He knew that face too! He loved that face. It was Luis. Corny felt a smile peck at his lips, but held it back, feeling that this wasn't the best time for it. Misery slowly got to her wobbling feet, holding Luis's are in a death grip. Corny brought himself up on his elbows, not feeling the churning or spinning in his head as before. In fact he felt better than he has been for the past couple of hours. He looked up and Misery's eyes were wide, staring at nothing as she fought with, what looked like, a monstrous amount of pain. Her body seemed to convulse as she gagged, searching for air. Luis brought her to a chair and knelt down in front of her, holding her up by her shoulder as he looked into her face.

"M? Misery? Look at me, Misery," Luis cooed like a doctor.

Corny got up to his feet and went to her side.

"Misery, you need to breathe," Luis kept talking to her.

Misery took a harsh gasp as she finally took a breath. She quivered and held herself like she was cold.

"Ffuucckk," Misery stammered, gasping from lack of air.

Corny and Luis stayed quiet, as they watched her slowly regain her composure.

"Shit. . . damn it. . . fucker. . .," she kept cursing under her breath, coloring the room with various words.

Misery wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked up at Luis. He dropped his hands and she sat back in her chair. They stared at each other. A tense atmosphere formed around them. Corny sat back and watched, waiting for one of them to snap. An unseen question came to Corny. He had the sudden urge to answer it.

"She didn't see anything," He blurted, not knowing why.

Luis's face snapped to Corny and a soft expression of relief filled his face. He looked back to Misery as to confirm his statement. She nodded her head once. Luis's hand came to cup Corny's cheek and scarred lips pressed eagerly to his.

"Thank you," Luis whispered to Misery, as he reluctantly pulled away.

"Don't do say that. He didn't come away unscathed," She declared.

Luis's eyes widened, shifting from Misery and Corny.

"Would you like to tell him?" She asked, looking at Corny's shoulder.

Corny sat silently, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"Misery died," he told the room.


	9. 20 Questions of More Confusion

**Alright, I'm going to do this chap a little differently. I'm going to go to first person, Luis's POV. I just want to know what you all would say and I have a back up chapter if this doesn't work. So tell me if you like it or not. If not I can change it in a heart beat. Thanks! Reviews are always welcome. . .**

Luis:

I couldn't breathe for a minute. I, honest to God, couldn't take a breath. I sat on my knees looking at Neil and my lungs were not functional. Damn it! It was starting to hurt. I felt a pair of eyes on my neck, but ignored then as much as possible. All those eyes could do was bring more confusion. Neil looked up at me and placed his hand on mine; somehow realizing I was in an awkward kind of distress. My lungs finally decided to work with my body again.

"What do you mean 'Misery died'?" I asked looking at Neil but asking the green eyes that bore into me.

"Technically I was killed," Misery told us blatantly.

My head snapped up and looked at Misery's tall frame sitting in the weak chair. Her eyes smoldered with truth.

"Killed?" I pretty much screeched, "as in _'not coming back, six feet under, death is coming for me, see my life flash before my eyes, don't go towards the light' _killed,"

My voice rambled as I tried to make sense out of anything she has said since I met her.

Which was pretty much nothing.

Misery looked at me with amused eyes. I felt the invisible pull as she looked at me again. I don't think she had a clue of what she did to me. The wrench of concealed hands reaching into my mind, wanting everything that I knew, left me stripped raw. If she ever did that to Neil I would never be able to forgive her.

Misery's eyes faltered and flashed, but it was gone before I could have put a name to the emotion.

"No, that's dying. I was killed. Once that happens to you a few times you learn the difference real fast"

Her voice was deep and heavy with solemnity, which conflicted with her entertained eyes. I looked deep within her gaze and a shock of tension passed through me, firing the, already out of control, suspicion I had for her. As she stared, I fought the urge to look away from her keen gaze. Misery was the first to avert her stare. I won that battle, but winning the war was a long way off. She looked to her resting hands, then to her feet. There was silence as I felt the cockiness leave her body. Neil watched Misery in worry and all I could do was eye at her with loath. I hated her. Hated her for what she did to me. Hated her for all the shit she pulled to get us to help her. Hated her for nearly killing Neil, but it felt like with every negative I inflicted I found a positive. She saved Neil from the dagger. Taking the blade full on. She was willing to take the responsibility of repaying Ravus. Misery was even trying her damn hardest to save a girl that was wrongly sentenced and she did save Neil from the _shift_.

Fuck, now I was starting to feel like shit for hating her so badly.

"You want answers, Luis? I'm willing to give them," she told me, not looking up from her boots, "it's the least I can do"

My body twitched with anticipation. Finally, something was going to make sense. I sprang from the floor and pulled up a chair, sitting as close as I possibly dared. She looked up slowly, her face pleading for forgiveness. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, clearing my mind from Misery. My mind was empty as I opened my eyes and I could feel the black abyss of our minds mend together, like a sweeping valley plane. It was empty, but I could feel her presents better in my mind then with her being in front of me.

'_Why did you do this to us?' _I sent to her.

The ripple of my evergreen thought drifted away. Within seconds a crimson wave cascaded down, dissipating as I stopped it.

'_I never meant to do any of this to you or Neil. I never wanted to get close, because I knew this would happen. You hate me and don't deny it. I know words are meaningless to you and 'sorry' falls on deaf ears, but that's all I can give, right now. Please except my apology and know I'm trying my damn hardest to make amends'_

For once I could hear the sincerity. I leaned my chin on my knuckles and gave her a curt nod. She showed nothing on her face. Misery leaned back in her chair, becoming stiff. We started to asses each other, without invading the invisibly boundary of our mended minds. Without much of a thought, I started shooting off questions. Getting what I want answered when I want it.

"Is your name really Misery?" I asked.

A flash of annoyance tightened her lips. She loosened it with a small shift in the chair.

"As of 20 years ago, yes," she told me flatly.

I ignored the beginning of a new conversation and continued with my interrogation.

"Where are you from?"

"My parents came to the United States from the United Kingdom,"

I smirked at her attempt the switch the conversation, but decided to leave the beat as is.

"That doesn't answer my question,"

She blinked once

"Maine,"

"Where are you parents from?" I asked out of my own curiosity.

"Leicester."

Her voice dropped, smothering the American vowels in a heavy, harsh English accent. I felt my head cock to the side at the odd sound that escaped her. I felt a little _'What!?'_

Misery chuckled. It was a warm sound that reverberated in her chest and filled the room. I snapped out of it and tried to find my, derailed, trail of thought. Neil beat me to it.

"Is that your natural accent?" he asked from the floor, arms pulled back to lift him off the floor.

His eyes were slightly narrowed from the foreign accent that spilled from her lips.

Misery turned his way and my heart fluttered for a moment in fear. A wiry smile was painted on her lips as I followed her line of sight to his shoulder.

"_Would you rather I talk like you?" _The perfect imitation of his voice filled my ears.

I jumped at the same time Neil did. Making the chair I sat in screech across the floor.

'_Holy Shit!_' I accidentally yelled, sending a thought wave over to Misery.

She chuckled at us both and turned back to me for more question.

"Aye, my accents natural. I taught meself along time ago to talk like an American," she told us smoothly with a small smirk on her lips.

It turned silent in the room. As we both couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Oi!," Misery snapped her fingers in front of my staring eyes, "come on then! Lets get this goin' ,"

"Umm," I started, trying to remember what I was going to say, "You have any family still around?"

"Yeh, got forth and fifth great nephews. Carmen is 63 and Daniel just turned 37,"

Forth and fifth? That didn't make any sense. She had to have a brother or sister to have a first nephew, but to have any _'great'_ anything that nephew had to have a child and that child had to have a child and that child of the child of the first child had to have a child. . . This was hurting my head. There had to be some large amount that passed between each one! Humans aren't rabbits!

Misery chuckled as she watched us both do the math in our heads and snickered when she saw it wasn't adding up.

"That's impossible," Neil piped in, his voice laced with aggravation when he couldn't figure the variable to make the equation work.

"It's actually quite possible," she started, looking a little smug, "when you're 233 years old"


End file.
